Release to rescue the five victims of cruelty currently in your care

I wanted to provide you all with another update on the five dogs who are currently being held at our pound facility.

We are currently working through the correct processes, including assessments and vet checks, to ensure the continued health and wellbeing of these animals.

Please bear in mind that the dogs were seized not as part of a mistreatment case, but as an indirect result of a police operation. Negative comments towards the owner will not assist in ensuring positive outcomes for these animals.

Over the coming weeks, will be continuing discussions with the dogs’ owners to bring about a resolution.

Update 3pm 12/11/14

Please be aware guys that at this point we still do not have confirmation of the dogs safety - only that Paul, the CEO, has committed to looking in to the matter further with this aim in mind.

We of course appreciate this commitment from Paul but until we have received confirmation that the dogs will not be destroyed and will be released to rescue instead, their safety is still up in the air.

We have yet to receive further communication or an update since last night. We've requested one from Paul on his last post about the dogs (linked below), and we suggest that you do as well.

6.30pm 11/11/14 Update:

A very promising post from the CEO of Gosford City Council Paul Anderson regarding the dogs - including pictures of them from today looking wonderful condition-wise.

We wish to congratulate Paul for shelving Council's initial line that was repeated many times today on social media - 'council has explored all avenues and as per our earlier post, there are legalities and other factors that preclude council from changing the outcome of this situation'.

We knew this wasn't the case and we are very pleased that Paul now agrees. Head on over and thank him for his attention to this issue and the action he has taken so far.

We aren't in the clear just yet, but we look forward to hearing further updates.

Original posting: We need help from you, this wonderful and caring community, to secure a future for five dogs set to lose their lives under Gosford Council.

They came into the care of Gosford Dog Paws, the contracted Council pound for Gosford, some time ago in October, following an unpleasant situation in their home.

As you can see from the photographs, they were in extremely poor and unacceptable condition. Their owner later surrendered them. (Update: Council has maintained that the owner has not surendered the dogs. If this is the case, it does not change our position - there are avenues to take to allow ownership to be transferred to the Pound, especially given the dogs have been at the shelter for at least a month. Council simply needs to take the time to seek them).

Rescue was sought and secured for all dogs shortly after their arrival, and they were to go to these rescues following breed assessments (and temperament assessments if needed).

The owner then informed the Council that he does not want the dogs rehomed, and that he wishes for them to be killed instead.

Rather than refusing this request, and giving these dogs a chance at life, the dogs have now been scheduled to be killed.

Not only does this person not own the dogs any longer – relinquishing his right to dictate their futures – the condition he kept these dogs in shows very clearly that he does not have the best interests of the dogs at heart.

Team Dog strongly believes that pounds and shelters should be a place of safety and refuge for victims of cruelty. To kill these dogs on request of their abuser is completely abhorrent and unacceptable, and we don't believe the Australian public will accept the decision by Gosford Council to do so.

We urge each and every one of you to please express your objection to their decision by signing our petition (which will email the Council on your behalf), and comment on their facebook page here:

We cannot stress enough that your petition signatures and comments must not be abusive or threatening – they will only be discarded and will not help these dogs in any way. If you are a Gosford resident we strongly urge you to personally email goscity@gosford.nsw.gov.au and state that you are extremely unhappy that your local Council is behaving in this way.

At this point, the only way we can see these dogs leaving the pound alive is through significant public outcry at the inhumane and abhorrent decision by the Council to end these dogs lives. Please get involved and share this post to spread the word.

For further information about Team Dog or to contact us please visit our website www.teamdog.com.au